Colorado Springs, CO – On December 15, 2020, at the LVIII General Assembly of the Panam Sports Organization, Racquetball was confirmed as a full medal sport to be competed at the 2023 XIX Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. This is excellent news for Racquetball and for all of the athletes who will strive to qualify to compete for their countries at the Games.
At the General Assembly this week, Racquetball was featured as part of the video presentation from the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. Paola Longoria, the #1 ranked women’s racquetball athlete in the world, addressed the General Assembly as a member of the Pan American Athletes Commission.
In an agreement between the Panam Sports Organization, the Santiago Organizing Committee, the International Racquetball Federation (IRF), and the Pan American Racquetball Confederation (PARC), four new Racquetball courts will be built in the National Racquet Center along with four new Squash courts. This Center and its courts will remain as a legacy to Santiago after the Games conclude in 2023.
Racquetball has been part of all but one Pan American Games since the 1995 Games in Mar del Plata, Argentina. It was most recently competed at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. For more information, visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racquetball_at_the_Pan_American_Games.
IRF President Osvaldo Maggi commented, “The IRF and its PARC national federations are delighted to receive this decision. The opportunity for our athletes to compete at the prestigious Pan American Games, which is much similar to the Olympic Games experience, lends development and strength to Racquetball and all of the other included sports as we all strive to someday participate in Olympic competition.”
PARC President Marcelo Gómez Pacheco added, “At the Pan American Racquetball Confederation, we are very happy that Racquetball will be part of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. This is great news for our athletes, and they will be so excited to participate in this event. I extend special gratitude to the Panam Sports Organization and the Santiago Organizing Committee for their support toward making this a reality.”
The 2023 Pan American Games, officially the XIX Pan American Games, will be the 19th edition of the Pan American Games and an international multi-sport event scheduled to be held from October 20 to November 5, 2023, in Santiago, Chile. For more information about Santiago 2023, visit https://www.santiago2023.org/en.
Contacts
Mauro Grandio -- Media/Communications maurograndio@internationalracquetball.org
Cheryl Kirk -- IRF Board of Directors cherylkkirk@gmail.com
